On Artist Compensation

Future of Music Coalition stands behind artists’ ability to get paid in the digital age. That’s why we support legitimate, licensed music services that compensate creators.

This page collects articles about developments in the music-technology space, with a specific focus on new services and business models that could potentially impact musicians and fans.

The transition to a largely digital environment for music has not been a smooth one, and we recognize that many traditional music industry stakeholders have struggled to adapt to the new marketplace. However, we are encouraged by the growing number of licensed services that provide fans with a vast array of lawful content while compensating creators and rightsholders. Many of these sites and services simply did not exist even a decade ago. It is a testament to the innovations inspired by the internet that we now can experience music in countless new and exciting ways. From iTunes to Pandora to YouTube to Spotify, fans now have access to music from a variety of novel platforms — on-demand and on-the-go.

As musicians, music producers, independent label owners and fans we encourage listeners to take advantage of these legitimate sites and services rather than patronize those that do not compensate musicians and songwriters. While there is still much to be done to ensure that artist compensation is meaningful and equitable, the best way to encourage the growth of the legitimate digital marketplace is to participate in it directly.

And if you like CDs, vinyl, cassette tapes, 8-tracks and wax cylinders, that’s great, too.